How did the ancients in China read books for answers?

However, although many children from poor families like reading, they have overcome many unimaginable difficulties and left many amazing stories because they are poor at home, or have no lights to read, or books, pens and ink to read. The Reading Lamp written by Feng Jingdi in the Ming Dynasty lists dozens of ancient people who used something else to study at night instead of the next day because their families were poor and there was no lamp. In China's ancient history books, such examples can be said to be everywhere. For example, Kuang Heng's "study hard without candles, neighbors don't catch candles, and balance is to lead them through the wall and read them with books."

. (Miscellanies of Xijing) This is the story of "digging a wall to borrow light" that has been passed down through the ages. Another example is Che Yin's "diligent, knowledgeable, poor family and not often oily, while Xia Yue practices with dozens of fireflies to take pictures, day and night."

. This is the origin of the idiom "Che Yin's Yeast". There is also the Su Xiang Award. "Every time I want to study, I suffer from no lights and candles, and I often blow fire in the stove in the stable to illuminate my books." (Kaiyuan Tianbao Legacy) Other well-known examples, such as weaving pu to copy books, studying hard with negative pay, studying hard with high romantic wheat, putting pigs to work hard in Chenggong, listening to lectures through fences in Jia Kui, and reciting by weaving curtains, are endless. Their spirit of overcoming difficulties and studying hard is admirable. As for Su Qin's "sleepy reading, prick yourself with an awl and bleed to your feet."

. ("Warring States Policy") Shen Jun's "self-study day and night, sometimes sleeping, need to beat yourself with a stick"

. (Liang Shu) This example of hard work and hard study is all moving.

Second, the traditional reading methods are varied.

From the reading deeds of the ancients, we can sum up many reading methods. Such as reading aloud, copying, listening, speed reading, intensive reading and so on. These reading methods still have certain guiding significance for our reading.

In ancient China, not only did children's education focus on reading, but also a social atmosphere was formed. "Reading every word every day" is regarded as the virtue of reading. Many famous historical figures in ancient times worked hard at reading. For example, Bai Juyi, a great poet in the Tang Dynasty, was diligent in reading, resulting in "mouth sores"; Gu, a scholar in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, said, "All thirteen classics are memorized."

. Similarly, words such as "reading", "reading" and "satire" often appear in ancient history books. For example, Ni Kuan's "hoe the classics and rest for reading"

. (Hanshu) Zhu Maichen "always loves firewood, sells himself for food, pays a salary, and recites books."

. (Hanshu) Fan Xuan "Although he has lived in idleness for many times, he often takes reading as his career."

. ("Book of Jin") and so on, too numerous to mention. The reason why the ancients are witty is because it is through reading and countless articles that they can have this realm. As the saying goes, "You can recite poems even if you are familiar with 300 Tang poems", which is the truth and can give us enlightenment.

Copying is to understand books through copying. Before the invention of printing or in the era when printing was underdeveloped and books were scarce, people attached great importance to copying. On the effect of "one change and three changes" produced by copying. He copied about 9 million words of Zi Tong Zhi Jian from the age of 1 1. After three years of reading and copying, he has three versions of Zi Tong Zhi Jian, namely the manuscript, the manuscript and the one in his heart. There are many similar examples in ancient history records, such as Kan Ze's "poor students with no capital, often holding a book as a pen, writing it and reading it again"

. ("reflection") Zhang Pu "teenagers are fond of learning, what they read must be copied by hand, and they have already copied it. If they read it once, they will burn it, then copy it, and so on. In this way, if you hold the tube in your right hand, your fingers will be cocooned. "

. (Ming history) They can not only solve the embarrassment of not having books, but also practice calligraphy and deepen their impression of books in copying, which can be described as killing two birds with one stone. But ... modern people rarely copy books, because copying books takes too much time and has the side effect of inhibiting thinking. However, there are still traces of ancient people copying reading methods such as reading notes and extracting cards.

For readers who can't read because of certain conditions, listening and reading is also a desirable reading method. For example, Schleswig-Holstein's "elegant literature, although in the military, often makes Confucian students read history books and listen to them"

. ("Book of Jin") Wang Mian "Young and poor, my father worked as a cattle herder, stole into the school house, listened to the students' endorsements, and returned home at dusk, forgetting his cattle."

. ("Ming History") Hu Dan "likes reading, which is embarrassing and makes people chant, and the children listen to it a lot."

. (Song Shi) They can't read because they are blind, because they have no books to read, or because they can't read, but they overcame these difficulties and studied hard to this extent.

Su Shi, a great writer in the Song Dynasty, once said, "You can never get tired of reading old books. Practice makes perfect. Know yourself and know yourself." This means that reading should be intensive reading. Intensive reading is one of the traditional reading methods in China. There are also many records about intensive reading in ancient literature. For example, Tian Min thinks that "there is no need to read more, and eighteen chapters are enough."

. ("History of Song Dynasty") involves only one book on the case, read it from beginning to end, and read it with clear pronunciation and mellow voice. If you haven't finished reading the book, you won't read it. "

. (Ming Dow Magazine) Su Shi "When reading Hanshu, I started from the beginning, such as politics, people, geography, official system, art of war and wealth."

. Indeed, for some famous books, the learning value is very high, and the content is concise and to the point. Without intensive reading, it is impossible to grasp the main points and difficulties of the whole book. The ancients said, "Read it a hundred times and you will know its meaning." . Third, the reading realm of "self-discipline" "If you love books, you will die, and if you love books, you will laugh." (Lu You's Nanbo Poetry Reading on a Cold Night) However, there are also some scholars who are not for fame and fortune, but for themselves. Such as Ma Shu's Ji Bo Shi Jing,

..... but he sighed and said,' I heard that those who hold titles of nobility are bound by their nests and reasons, while those who love mountains and forests take Iraq and Lu as protectors. The name of the bundle is actually a humble word. Playing with emptiness will make them feel like chaff on the table. Hidden in Maoshan, there is an indomitable will. "

. ("Chen Shu") Yangcheng "studious, poor can not get books, seeking discipline, stealing yuan books, at home for six years day and night, doing everything, and being a scholar, went to the hidden Zhongtiaoshan."

. (Tang Shu) Liu Mianzhi "that is, the suburbs set up grass as a hall, study in it, strive for self-sufficiency, and have no desire to be the world."

. (History of the Song Dynasty) They are poor and happy, maintain self-control, indulge in books, envy and dispel doubts, gradually widen their belts, and never regret it. Get rid of the shackles of reality with a kind of seclusion and freedom, and pursue internal and subjective spiritual freedom.